Cask and Chime Assembly

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a cask and chime assembly wherein the cask has end surface side wall portions of reduced diameter relative to the central wall surface portion of the cask. The reduced diameter portions of the cask are separated from the central wall surface portion of the cask by an annular groove whereby a protruding shoulder is provided in the groove adjacent the central portion of the cask. Chimes the cask and have a flange adapted to be snapped fitted into the groove. The shoulders provide for support against vertical of forces that might otherwise displace the chimes from the grooves.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cask and chime assembly suitable for housing an alcohol beverage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to contain alcohol, such as wine in bags contained in a cardboard type container. Further, it is known to use a bag inserted into a cask for storing beer in the bag. The use of this type of beer cast is becoming more common as a component part inserted into a home beer dispensing appliance. The home dispensing appliance typically has one or more doors through which the cask is inserted into the appliance. The dispensing appliance is primarily intended for use in domestic kitchens and lends itself to being readily placed on a kitchen counter top. Because kitchen counter top space is at a premium in most households, the appliance is constructed to minimize on the counter top space required by the appliance.

Typically, the cask is protected at its upper and lower ends by plastic chimes mounted thereto. These chimes have a rim portion with an in-turned flange that fits into a groove located in the cask. The rim portion of the chime is positioned proud of the cask. This results in the chime occupying a greater spatial area than that required by the cask. Further, during pallet stacking, the chimes may flex and move position relative to the groove in which the flange is mounted. Consequently the stacking strength of the chime is governed by the strength of the attachment of the chime to the cask. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a chime with improved stacking strength with a spatial requirement similar to that of the cask.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cask and chime assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of at least one chime with a cask wherein the outside perimeter of the chime does not necessarily extend proud of the outside diameter of the cask. This is accomplished by providing the cask having a cylindrical side wall having at least one end wall surface portion of reduced diameter compared with a central wall surface portion of the cask. The end and central wall surface portions are separated by at least one annular groove that has a shoulder protruding adjacent the central wall surface portion. The chime has a first annular rim portion with an in-turned flange that snap fits into the annular groove and at least partially seats itself against the protruding shoulder. The seating of the in-turned flange of the annular rim against the protruding shoulder provides a strengthening of the attachment of the chime to the cask against vertically displaced stacking forces.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided an alcohol containing cask and chime assembly. The assembly comprises a cask and at least one chime mounted to the cask. The cask has a cylindrical side wall having a central wall surface portion of first diameter. The cask has at least one end wall surface portion of second diameter less than the first diameter. The cask has at least one annular groove extending around the cylindrical side wall separating the at least one end wall surface portion from the central wall surface portion. The annular groove has a protruding shoulder adjacent the central wall surface portion. The at least one chime has a first annular rim portion surrounding the at least one end wall surface portion. The annular rim portion has an in-turned flange adapted for snap fitting into the annular groove and for at least partial seating against the protruding shoulder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention reference may be had to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a home beer dispensing apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the home beer dispensing apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the chime of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view profile of the chime of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the alcohol cast with the chime of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the assembly of the cask and a chime;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the cask and upper chime; and,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the cask and lower chime.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a home beer dispensing apparatus, appliance or unit 10. The dispensing apparatus 10 is primarily intended for use in domestic kitchens but may also be used in utility rooms, garages, domestic bars, caravans etc. While the preferred embodiment relates to dispensing beer, alternatively carbonated solutions or other alcohol beverages may be dispensed by apparatus 10.

The home beer dispensing apparatus 10 has a front wall 12 and a dispensing tap 14 protruding forward of the front wall 12. A drip tray 16 also protrudes forward of the front wall 12 and is adapted to support an open glass cask 18 below the dispensing tap 14. The home beer dispensing apparatus 10 further has a base 21 adapted to rest on a counter top in a kitchen. The front wall 12 is formed as an extension of two pivoting side walls 20 which may be moved between closed and open positions to allow the cask or cask 22 (see FIG. 2 in broken lines) to be inserted into the housing of the home beer dispensing apparatus 10. The housing of the home beer dispensing apparatus 10 further includes a top wall 24 and a rear wall 26. The rear wall 26 has a grill 30 that permits for air circulation within the home beer dispensing apparatus 10. An electrical cord 32 extends through the rear wall 26 of the apparatus 10 to provide a connection into a main electrical supply to supply electrical power to the electrical components housed within the dispensing apparatus 10. Alternatively, a 12 Volt DC supply input may be used.

The dispensing apparatus 10 has a cooling system 23 located behind and below cask 22 that is adapted to cool the cask 22 of beer when placed in dispensing apparatus 10. The dispensing apparatus 10 also dispenses the beer by providing a pressurized air supply (not shown).

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 8, the cask and chime assembly of the present invention for use in the home beer appliance 10 is described. However it should be understood that the cask and chime assembly of the present invention may have applications other than for home beer appliances.

The assembly comprises a cask 22 that has a cylindrical side wall 50. It should be understood that by cylindrical it is meant a generally cylindrical shape which may include grooves and wall portions of varying diameter. In this regard, the cylindrical side wall 50 has a central wall surface portion 52 having a first diameter, D₁, as shown in FIG. 6. The cylindrical side wall 50 has an upper end wall surface portion 54 that has a second diameter, D₂, that is less than the first diameter D₁. The cylindrical side wall 50 has a first annular groove 56 that extends around the cylindrical side wall 50 so as to separate the upper end wall surface portion 54 from the central wall surface portion 52. This first annular groove 56 has a lower protruding shoulder 58 that extends adjacent to and runs into the central wall surface portion 52.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8, the cylindrical side wall 50 of the cask 22 has a lower end wall surface portion 60 which has a diameter, D₂. The cylindrical side wall 50 further has a second annular groove 62 that extends around the cylindrical side wall 50. The second annular groove 62 separates the lower end wall surface portion 60 from the central wall surface portion 52. The second annular groove 60 has an upper protruding shoulder 64 that extends adjacent to and runs into the central wall surface portion 52.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a first chime 40 is shown mounted to the cask 22. The first chime 40 has a first annular rim portion 70 that surrounds the upper end wall surface portion 54. The first annular rim portion 70 has an in-turned flange 74 that is adapted for snap fitting into the first annular groove 56. The in-turned flange 74 also seats itself against the lower protruding shoulder 58 of the annular groove 56. In the embodiment shown, the first annular rim portion 70 has a first outside rim wall diameter D₃ that substantially corresponds to the first diameter D₁ of the central wall surface portion 52 so as that the rim portion 70 does not extend proud of the central wall surface portion 52.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8, a second chime 42 is mounted to the cask 22. The second chime 42 has a second annular rim portion 80 that surrounds the lower end wall surface portion 60. The second annular rim portion 80 has an in-turned flange 82 that is adapted to be snap fitted into the second annular groove 62. The in-turned flange 82 also is seated against the upper protruding shoulder 64. In the embodiment shown, the second annular rim portion 80 has an outside rim wall diameter D₃ that substantially corresponds to the first diameter D₁ of the central wall surface portion 52 so as that the rim portion 80 does not extend proud of the central wall surface portion 52.

As shown in FIG. 5, the chimes 40 and 42 have an outside diameter that substantially corresponds to the outside diameter of the cask 22. Accordingly, the overall space or circumferential area required by the chimes 40 and 42 does corresponds to that of the cask 22 facilitating making the insertion and removal of the assembly into the appliance 10. Further, the seating of the in-turned flanges 74 and 82 against the respective shoulders 58 and 64 provides additional support for the chimes 40 and 42 against vertical forces associated with the stacking of casks 22 vertically one above the other. 

1. An alcohol containing cask and chime assembly comprising: a cask having a cylindrical side wall having a central wall surface portion of first diameter, at least one end wall surface portion of second diameter less than the first diameter, at least one annular groove extending around the cylindrical side wall separating the at least one end wall surface portion from central wall surface portion, and the annular groove having protruding shoulder adjacent the central wall surface portion; and, at least one chime mounted to the cask having a first annular rim portion surrounding the at least one end wall surface portion, the annular rim portion having an in-turned flange adapted for snap fitting into the annular groove and for at least partial seating against the protruding shoulder.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the annular rim portion has a first outside rim wall portion whose diameter substantially corresponds to the first diameter of the central wall surface portion.
 3. An alcohol containing cask and chime assembly comprising: (a) a cask having a cylindrical side wall comprising (i) a central wall surface portion of first diameter, (ii) an upper end wall surface portion of second diameter less than the first diameter, (iii) a first annular groove extending around the cylindrical side wall separating the upper end wall surface portion from the central wall surface portion, the first annular groove having a lower protruding shoulder adjacent the central wall surface portion, (iv) a lower end wall surface portion of the second diameter, (v) a second annular groove extending around the cylindrical side wall separating the lower end wall surface portion from the central wall surface portion, the second annular groove having an upper protruding shoulder adjacent the central wall surface portion; (b) a first chime mounted to the cask having a first annular rim portion surrounding the upper end wall surface portion, the first annular rim portion having an in-turned flange adapted for snap fitting into the first annular groove and for at least partial seating against the lower protruding shoulder; and, (c) a second chime mounted to the cask having a second annular rim portion surrounding the lower end wall surface portion, the second annular rim portion having an in-turned flange adapted for snap fitting into the second annular groove and for at least partial seating against the upper protruding shoulder.
 4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein: the first annular rim portion has a first outside rim wall portion whose diameter substantially corresponds to the first diameter of the central wall surface portion, and the second annular rim portion has an outside rim wall portion whose diameter substantially corresponds to the first diameter of the central wall surface portion. 